Get your thrills on these daredevil roller coasters or climb aboard tamer carousels at parks in California, Nevada, and Idaho.

IF YOU'RE GOING...

Catch a ride on the Manhattan Express and you’ll find yourself flying by the Brooklyn Bridge, the Chrysler Building, the Statue of Liberty. Is this New York City? Not at all. It’s Las Vegas, and you’re zooming past skyscrapers at the New York New York Hotel & Casino. You climb 203 feet above the Strip before dropping and roaring past Miss Liberty at 67 miles per hour. Suddenly you’re upside down, falling and turning as the coaster dives into a twist; then you climb above the Empire State Building, a 47-story version of the 102-story real thing. Manhattan in three minutes and 30 seconds? No, but it sure is thrilling. $12.50. (702) 740-6969, www.nynyhotelcasino.com.

Find 35 rides, from a roller coaster to a carousel, at Silverwood Theme Park, just off Highway 95 north of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Opens for the season oin May (208-683-3400). www.silverwoodthemepark.com.

Survivor the Ride, a new attraction at Paramount’s Great America in Santa Clara, Calif., plays off the hit TV series with steamy jungles, tribal rivalry, fiery torches, and a terrifying roller coaster. (408) 988-1776, www.pgathrills.com.

Photography courtesy of MGM Mirage

This article was first published in July 2006. Some facts may have aged gracelessly. Please call ahead to verify information.